FALLBROOK MUSIC SOCIETY
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
2022-2023 CONCERT SEASON
September 2023
Fallbrook Music Society’s 45th concert season went by so fast! Now that our 46th season has begun, I wish to acknowledge the major highlights of last year, while looking forward to 2023-2024.
Your Board of Directors started off the 2023 year in February with a board retreat at Vice President Steve Byrnes’ home. During that meeting, inputs from all board members pointed to the number one priority that our society lacked: COMMUNITY AWARENESS.
I have always been perplexed when newcomers to our concerts say, “How long has Fallbrook Music Society been in Fallbrook?” …and then to see the look on their faces when we state: “46 years!” So, this year we will be employing every available method to “get the word out” about Fallbrook Music Society and what our mission statement requires us to do. In addition to emails, press releases, and word of mouth, Facebook, Instagram, and Friends of Fallbrook will be included. Fallbrook Music Society concerts and events will allow us to cement relationships with our patrons and donors who will continue to support our concerts and our children’s programs. Hopefully, these donors will help pass the word to other like-minded arts supporters in town.
Additionally, FMS will endeavor to partner with other Fallbrook non-profits, and “Meet and Greets” with other local organizations will be scheduled for our board members to be guest speakers. All these and many more AWARENESS efforts must occur in order to increase concert attendance with a concerted effort made to encourage more participation, donations and grant funding.
We have added two new board members: Kathleen Richardson, who has financial expertise, and Connie Kleppe, who has a strong music education background. Their Friendly Village Board volunteerism continues our long-established policy of freely giving back to our community with our spare time. We will continue to look for others who can contribute to our FMS Leadership Team.
Kudos to board member Janet Silver for establishing a fantastic music education program at the Fallbrook Boy and Girls Club this past season. Basic music instruction, ukulele, piano, and voice were taught to children after school, and a week-long Summer Music Camp was established. For Janet’s efforts, FMS received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Boys and Girls Club at their annual fundraiser.
Going forward, our board does have some concerns. After the pandemic, our costs in virtually every monetary outlay have gone up. Our budgetary projections based upon past history have been thrown off by audience attrition and a decrease in giving by our remaining donors. Compounding the problem is the increased competitiveness for grant funding, which we have historically relied upon. We are asking each of you to become ambassadors for LIVE music by donating to us if you can, and by helping us promote our non-profit by word-of-mouth and social media.
Our 46th Fallbrook Music Society concert season has commenced, and it is looking great!
During our February 2023 retreat, the Directors challenged our Executive Director, Judy Siodmak, to plan a concert season with classically trained musicians who can cross-over to other musical genres. Besides classical selections, Broadway, movie themes, jazz, contemporary, and 60’s music are now part of our selection process. So don’t be surprised if you hear Beethoven in the first part of our concert programs, with “Roll Over Beethoven” heard after intermission. However, as always, there is one exception to this programming plan: in April 2024, following a 10-year hiatus, we will once again host the Redlands Symphony at the Bob Burton Center for the Performing Arts. We have not hosted a symphony concert since 2013. This exciting program pairs Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Time will tell if classical, symphonic music still has a place in Fallbrook, Bonsall, and our surrounding areas.
As always, if you have any questions or would like more information about Fallbrook Music Society and our programs, please give me a call at (760) 519-0121, or you can drop me an email at robertfreaney@gmail.com. Our website is www.fallbrookmusicsociety.org
I hope to see you at our great concerts this season!
Sincerely,
Bob Freaney, President
Fallbrook Music Society
